vii, 343 pages : 22 cm

"In How to See the World, visual culture expert Nicholas Mirzoeff offers a sweeping look at history's most famous images--from Velazquez's Las Meninas to the iconic ́Blue Marblé--to contextualize and make sense of today's visual world. Drawing on art history, sociology, semiotics, and everyday experience, he teaches us how to close read everything from astronaut selfies to Impressionist self-portraits, from Hitchcock films to videos taken by drones. Mirzoeff takes us on a journey through visual revolutions in the arts and sciences, from new mapping techniques in the seventeenth century to new painting styles in the eighteenth and the creation of film, photography, and x-rays in the nineteenth century. In today's networked world, mobile technology and social media enable us to exercise ́visual activisḿ--the practice of producing and circulating images to drive political and social change. Whether we are looking at pictures showing the effects of climate change on natural and urban landscapes or an fMRI scan demonstrating neurological addiction, Mirzoeff helps us to find meaning in what we see,"--Amazon.com

"First published in the United Kingdom by Pelican Books, an imprint of Penguin Books. ..."--T.p. verso

Includes bibliographical references and index

How to see the world -- How to see yourself -- How we think about seeing -- The world of war -- The world on screen -- World cities, city worlds -- The changing world -- Visual activism

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